my mk2 glf 16v vs e30 318is

[panesar_e30]

am thinking of selling my mk2 golf in favour of a 318is, dont no yet but oppiions would be good, dropd it 80m on the standard bbs's last week.

its on the floor, and i thaugh my e30 was low

[Karan]

e30 obviously rwd rightness

[tim_s]

the valver will be quicker if its still running ok (an 8v is just about as quick as a 318is), the 318is is likely to be more reliable, less rusty and is rear wheel drive. the golf engine is easier to mod. if its a toy car keep the golf, if you want a daily get a bm.

[panesar_e30]

heres 1 pic more to follow1

i know what you mean karan, but the golf just feels so much faster.

[Karan]

i agree golf is faster cos it is!!!

but to some that wont matter..... ive considered cossies and quicker cars eg skylines..... but havin driven other things...... smallish and rwd rules

[kam-325i]

Golf GTI 8V or 318is, Ouch, hard choice.

Golf or 318is woulde be great to drive. If you are a single bloke, Golf. Got kids, E30.

[bigkev]

whats the biggest engine you can get in a golf ?
answer VR6 2.8
whats the biggest engine you can get in anE30
answer V8 4.0
NO CONTEST

[massive]

whats the biggest engine you can get in a golf ?
answer VR6 2.8
whats the biggest engine you can get in anE30
answer V8 4.0
NO CONTEST

Ive seen a mk2 golf with 2 x VR6 2.9 engines in.....not under the bonnet tho!

[WilliS]

im havin a similar dilemma, ive been savin hard to get an e30, got my heart set on an iS, but im drawn towards golfs too, was very very close to buying an oak green three door GTI 16v not long ago. And wit the right mods these cars can look so sweet.

But i just find myself drawn towards the iS, even tho i kno my mates r gonna get in it and say 'why the hell did u go on about this car for so long? So and so's gti is quicker' or 'my mates saxo's quicker than this'.

The only reply id be able to think of is 'ye well, i like it'

[kam-325i]

Its the same when considering an E30 over a Edirty6.

E30 is the better "Drivers" Car.

Edirty6 is the better "Cruising" car.

[WilliS]

wot about if i got both?

problem solved.

[kam-325i]

wot about if i got both?

problem solved.

Good point.

I would buy an E36 as a daily driver, and use the E30 for "ME TIME !"

[Kedge]

haven't you got the sport no more mate?

[tim_s]

don't agree with a lot of this really.
i dunno that the e30 is the better driver's car (compared to an e36) out of the box. my 318is was pretty soft and had loads of bodyroll etc on 14s and with standard suspension. was ok, but my brother's e36 M44 318is coupe with 16" wheels, better suspension and rear axle design, better steering, more grip and more torque is easily the better driver's car out of the box imo. (but did cost him Ԛ£5k though!) even now i have low profile tyres on bigger wheels (205/50/15), eibach anti roll bars, lsd, konis etc i still enjoy the e36.

i love mk2 golfs. an oak green valver would have my vote over a standard 318is as a fun car; they handle really well and are good fun to chuck around, and its faster and easier to modify. but as a car to use, cruise down the motorway in, drive to work etc i'd prefer the bm as there are less hassles. all the mk2 valvers are still k-jet, which for everyday is just too dated for a daily.

as for most bhp in a mk2 golf being 2.8 vr6, well, there's the 2.9 VR6 for a start, then there's the r32 3.2l 24v jobby (250bhp) if we're sticking to V6s, but there's also the 1.8 20v turbo engines, which are good for 300bhp no problem, more if necessary. these are all a much easier conversion than an m5 v8 engine into an e30 as they bolt up to the mk2 golf subframe and the electrics are less of a nightmare.
in fact, if you're going to compare with an m5 engine ($$$$ and extremely complicated to fit) then why not compare to audi S2/S4/S8 engines etc. still VAG and 400bhp not an issue!

of course all of this would be well OTT in a mk2 golf, but just thought i'd redress the balance a little.

[kam-325i]

Common "Opinoin" Between the E30 and E36 was/is : The E30 is the better car to drive, While the E36 was/is the better car to be driven in.

(Standard cars) An E30 should be better than the E36 around the twisties, while the E36 should be better in a straight line/Motorways.

[tim_s]

i think handling's too subjective really, there's loads of different opinions. my $0.02 though:
some argue the primative (and quite criticised in the compact and more modern bms) semi-trailing arm design (e30) is more fun than the much lauded z-axle (e36), but its ultimately less effective (fact) and i feel it makes the car feel less competent. you can really push on in an e36 without the dramas of the e30.

While the E36's front suspension remained a MacPherson strut design, engineers made the rear suspension more sophisticated than ever before. Called the "Z-axle," the new rear end was a multilink system as opposed to semi-trailing arms used in previous 3s. It offered much better camber change characteristics throughout its travel. Mounted to its own subframe, the Z-axle wasn't cheap but it worked spectacularly well and would become the prototype for rear suspensions under subsequent BMWs, including the 5 and 7 Series.

i think you can argue that the e30 is the better driver's car (i wouldn't though!), but

An E30 should be better than the E36 around the twisties

i don't reckon this is true if 'better'=faster. z-axle plus wider lower-profile tyres, bigger brakes etc and a nice suspension setup on the sport coupe models, means my money's on the e36 all day long. oh, and traction control and abs. from practicle experience, when my e30 was standard (bmw fsh when i bought it, 70k miles with new subframe and trailing arm bushes) i dont reckon it would never keep up with an e36 round the twisties.
the e30 is good fun and rewarding to drive, that's why i like it

so offtopic... sorry! er, keep the mk2 16v, they're very cool.

[panesar_e30]

still confused as only wantd a car for an everyday runner, with the golf i wana go crazy modding it, but dont want to do that to an everyday car.

the golf moves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its rapid and all its had is the airbox drilled.

still got the sport which is always parked in the garage


i do agree that the e30 is a better drivers car, but the golfs a close second!

[kam-325i]

But that is my point, The E36 with TC would be better, But with the E30, YOU DRIVE, YOU CONTROL, not the TC system.

Apples and orange, swings and roundabouts !!!

[panesar_e30]

im with you kam on that 1.

[kam-325i]

still confused as only wantd a car for an everyday runner, with the golf i wana go crazy modding it, but dont want to do that to an everyday car.

the golf moves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its rapid and all its had is the airbox drilled.

still got the sport which is always parked in the garage


i do agree that the e30 is a better drivers car, but the golfs a close second!

Its down to practicallity then.

Do you have a family, or plan to have one in the near futer ? (12 months max)

[dark_sounds]

im in a similar pickle... infact the exact pickle... in the market for a gti 16v mk2, or a e30 318is lol i cant make up my mind!!! i have had mk2 golfs. love them, though i wouldnt mind a bit of rear wheel drive action

[scottybeemer]

i had a few e30's and a got e36 ,9 month later sold the "36" and got another e30 ,just sittin in it you can feel the difference

[bigkev]

do what i did got the missus to buy a golf while i keep the alpina
when doing town driving i 'borrow' the golf

[tim_s]

i reckon change is good. panesar, keep the mk2, dark sounds get a 318is. sorted.
.

[panesar_e30]

no family yet, still with the parents, too many cars in the houshold.

dads 330 sport, mums polo, the golf, my sport, so cant hve another car. ie = a 318is

the golf sounds alot better and deeper than the 318is, has any1 got xact performance figures?

[tim_s]

no exact figures, but i've traffic lighted one a few times in my 318is and they're a good bit quicker (when they can get the power down) - remember they're a good 250kgs lighter than the bmw. power is 139bhp i think, 0-60 just under 8 secs. top speed is crap though due to gearing and the fact it'd probably disintegrate if you went any faster.
an 8v mk2 golf is about the same performance as the e30 318is, my mate used to have an 8v mk2 and so that's tried and tested.
the golf is easy to get a lot more power from though. Ԛ£500 notes would buy you a mk3 16v engine which with your head and cams and the newer injection would give you 160-170bhp no problem and you would go bloody quick then and you'd have got rid of k-jet. plus it would plug straight into your fusebox if you have a late spec one which it looks like you have from the 90 spec doors.

[Kramer]

8v 112 bhp
16v 139 bhp V 318is 136 bhp

[Simon13]

whats the biggest engine you can get in a golf ?
answer VR6 2.8
whats the biggest engine you can get in anE30
answer V8 4.0
NO CONTEST

pah try a 5.6 V12 from an 8 series in an E30 it fits and has been done! Now that would shift.

nearly the same cc as 2 vr6 2.9 lumps! plus alot lighter, but we are going off topic slightly! or i am

Panesar massive golf looks good!
ps how do we know which one of u is posting when your on the zone?!

[herman]

Showing my age now, had a 318i C reg, 318i E reg, 320i, 325i E reg out the box. They were fantastic when new, what a drive.

My wife had Golf GTi 91 (mk2) and MK3 GTi 2l 16v. they were good new.

Since then 90 M3 e30 2 years old, hooked.

E36 328i, then 328ci new, all the bits on them, e36 M3 evo, yellow great drive.

Now back to e30 M3, says it all realy, can't beat em and I don't mean speed.

[philn]

I bought a mk2 16v after I sold my second sport. This thing was rapid, handled brilliantly and I loved it.

I was in the market for a relatively cheap car again recently, so bought another Mk2, this time an 8v. Bought it just because it was so clean, it is a bag of wank though. Feels very slow going from the M5 and the steering and handling is dreadful.

I've still got it, but have bought another sport too. The sport probably does about the same on fuel as a 16v golf and is similar to 60, but is much more fun!

[Grantley]

Just thought I'd chip in. I had a 89 16v Golf for 5 years and in my opion its better built, go's better, drives better, rusts far less than any other make of the same age (including BMW) and is a car thats very easy to live with on a day to day basis. If some prick had'nt written mine off I'd still be enjoying it now, but thats just my opinion !

[Fushion_Julz]

Best Golf, IMHO, is the Mk1 1.6 GTi

Small, light, enough power for speed/acceleration but not enough for torque-steer to be too bad

But good ones are like rocking horse poo, now...

[andrewe30m3]

I sold my 325i e30 a couple of years ago as i was short on cash being when studying... I bought a gti 16v chipped and SS exhaust as only mods and I sold it after 3 months or something. It just didnt drive like the E30 (granted e30 was a nicely spec'd 325i) and I promptly bought another 325i to play with that was cheaper!

I hear 318is is ok tho...

[WilliS]

how would a chipped 318is with bbtb cope against a standard mk2 GTI 16v?

[Simon]

Just thought I'd chip in. I had a 89 16v Golf for 5 years and in my opion its better built, go's better, drives better, rusts far less than any other make of the same age (including BMW) and is a car thats very easy to live with on a day to day basis. If some prick had'nt written mine off I'd still be enjoying it now, but thats just my opinion !

I love the Mk II golf's too, and would deffo have on over a 318is, but as for them being better built and rusting less, then I have got to strongly dis-agree with that one, especially the rusting bit, I think they rust terrible, a lot worse than an E30.